Bubble Bobble fans have been waiting quite a while for a sequel to Bubble Bobble 4, but the closest thing on the horizon is the upcoming modern port of Parasol Stars. That leaves plenty of opportunity for homage, something we find in a new Steam Early Access title called Slam and Roll from KaleidoGames. In this one, a group of sports loving kids travel the world and bust lots of baddies. Naturally, it supports 2-player local co-op.
The premise of the game involves alien invaders attacking our poor Earth. Only a group of sports-loving youths can stop them. To start with, players can choose from a male hockey player and a female baseball player, but more characters can be unlocked. Players can also choose from a variety of colors for each character, allowing for fun and outlandish combinations.
Game modes include World Tour, Arcade, Chaos, and a mysterious fourth mode. World Tour allows players to save progress and replay stages at will. Stages tend to follow basic Bubble Bobble and Snow Bros.-style designs, though the stages aren't always confined to a single screen like in those classics. The goal is usually to defeat all enemies and collect as many points-granting items as possible, though occasional auto-scrolling levels and boss fights mix things up too.
As for the gameplay, the heroes can fire hockey pucks or baseballs at enemies. These will first stun an enemy and eventually, wrap them up in a big ball. Players can then hit the ball forward or slightly upward at other foes, destroying any baddies that get rolled over. What's more, if the ball touches a player, he or she will get rolled around inside it. The effect is sort of like getting hit by a water stream in Bubble Bobble.
The mechanics of hitting enemies and rolling them around don't feel as tight and polished as those of Bubble Bobble and similar games, but they work well enough. It's silly that you need a power-up to jump down through platforms. The pixel art varies from average to really good, with some cool effects and large enemies at times. There are over 200 stages, so Slam and Roll certainly offers a lot of bang for the buck at present. We look forward to seeing how it grows on the road to its full launch.
Slam and Roll costs $10.99 on Steam. Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch versions are planned for 2024 or 2025. There's also a free Steam demo, so be sure to give it a try!